Weekly Wonders
by a.touch.eclectic
Summary: A collection of post-series stories revolving around Emma, Killian, and their family. One for each day of the week. Some humor, some family feels, and very Captain Swan heavy. Saturday - what can you do with a house full of teenagers with an overprotective father? Hope there's no boyfriends.
1. Monday Madness

**Hello dear readers, welcome to the crazy world of my muse. This will be a collection of post series stories revolving around Emma and Killian's lives as parents. Chapters will not follow in chronological order, but I will indicate where each chapter fits into the timeline. This chapter takes place approximately 17 years after the defeat of the Wicked Witch. Enjoy, and as always, reviews are wonderful!**

**Disclaimer: Any character you recognize does not belong to me. **

_Monday Madness_

"Mom! Where is my backpack?" Annie called down the stairs, alerting the entire household that the daily shouting match between mother and daughter had begun.

Emma gave a silent sigh, trying to decide how to curb the 16 year old's desire to turn every conversation into a challenge of how far their voices could carry. She stepped away from her post at the stove, hoping that the situation would be resolved quickly and still allow the family to enjoy the pancakes that she had prepared for them. It seemed that most days, something would prevent them from being able to just sit down and take in a meal together. Narrowly avoiding tripping over Lily's track shoes, she calmly called up the stairs to Annie.

"Where was the last place you saw it?" she asked.

"I had it at Lucy's last night. But I'm _sure_ I brought it home!" Annie responded in her typical loud voice.

Emma tried to be a second memory for her daughter, thinking through all the places she may have left the bag. Before she could come up with a suggestion for her, another crisis arose.

"Mom! Lily won't get out of the bathroom, and I really have to pee!" The plaintive look of the ten year old created a dilemma between smiling at the boy and getting angry at her middle child. A distinct scent from the kitchen sidetracked her thoughts however.

"Go in our bathroom!" Emma shouted as she rushed to the stove. She managed to remove the pancakes with minimal damage. The blackened face of the pancake appeared to be only on the surface, and it wasn't the worst meal she had served her children. Emma set it off to the side, and proceeded to work out whatever was still going on with her children.

"Mom! I still can't find my backpack!" Annie complained.

"Check the car," Emma said. With her oldest child given a productive task, the focus was now on the 14 year old who could be heard singing loudly in the bathroom, water running and various fumes revealing just how many products she was using.

"Lily, are you almost done? Other people need to use the bathroom as well." To emphasize her point, Liam returned with a dance that betrayed his lack of relief.

"Dad's in the shower so I couldn't go!" Liam said, now on the verge of tears.

"Lily, you need to get out of the bathroom now! Otherwise, you will be the one cleaning up Liam's accident out here."

"But Mom, I'm in the middle of my moisturizing routine!"

Patience had completely disappeared at this point. No teenager needed to spend a half hour in the bathroom each morning. "Liam, just go in."

The boy heeded his mother, unheeding his sister's complaints. "Get out of here Liam! What are you… Mom!"

"Lily, you are not the only person in this house. So finish up and come down for breakfast. You need to be on your way to school soon."

Lily sighed more deeply than any 14 year old should, and Emma caught a glimpse of her frustrated face as Liam emerged, much happier than he had last looked. He gave his mother a bright smile that always reminded her of the pleased look Mary Margaret would give her when her optimism came through.

"Almost ready?" Emma asked. She knew the answer before he even opened his mouth. It seemed that every challenge she had had to face with her daughters was made up for in the perfect entity that was her youngest. Towheaded and bright blue eyes betrayed his potential to be just as much of a flirt as his father once he overcame the conclusion that girls were "icky." Straight A's, as much as they were worth in the fourth grade, and a growing talent for any sport involving a ball insured that one day, he would most certainly be the most talked about member of the school.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a second," Liam said.

Secure in her knowledge that at least one of her children would make it, Emma decided to actively join the search for Annie's backpack. She took a stab in the dark and pushed the door open to Lily's room. How that girl could find anything in the mess that was clothes, books, stuffed animals, blankets and pillows littering every inch of the room was a shock to her. Mothering mode was turned to extreme as she began to organize items as they came into view. Most of the clothes were tossed into the laundry basket, reminding Emma that she had to get at least some of the clothes through the washer and dryer today, or most of the family would be left without clean underwear tomorrow.

Her quest for the missing backpack ended with a shrill yell from the bedroom door. "Mom! What have a told you about coming into my room? And what are you doing touching my stuff?" Lily grabbed the pizza stained t-shirt in Emma's hands away as though it was the most precious treasure. If there was anything Emma wished that her children had not inherited from their father, it was the need to possess and be possessive of everything.

"I was looking for Annie's backpack. Have you seen it?"

"No! Now get out!"

Being unceremoniously tossed out of her daughter's room barely fazed her, and she continued in her efforts to look for the backpack. She walked into her own bedroom to see if it had made it way there. Bending over to look under the bed, a soft voice whispered in her ear, "why don't you try that _on_ the bed?"

Emma knew that when she married him she would deal with eye rolling for the rest of her life, but she had hoped it wouldn't be as frequent as she often found it. "I'm looking for Annie's backpack. And I have a stack of pancakes that need to be eaten and three kids to take to school, so I'm afraid any of your "enjoyable activities" will have to be saved for another day."

Killian's smirk could be felt even with her back turned to him. "Then I suggest you don't turn around now." His feet whispered across the floor to the closest, and Emma couldn't help but steal a peek at his bare form, maybe not quite as firm as the day she first met him, but certainly quite pleasant for the over 300 year old ex-pirate. Of course, a sneak was all she could manage in order to avoid the awkward situation that could definitely present itself with her children.

"Breakfast is ready as soon as you're dressed," she informed him as she gave up the search and headed down to the kitchen. In her efforts to avoid a day of frustration, she filled her head with images and thoughts of all the paperwork that had to be done at the station today. It was much quicker and even more effective than a cold shower, and brought her immediately back down to the Monday morning craziness. A much needed focus when she saw the scene unfolding in the kitchen.

Liam was yelling at Annie, standing three inches away from her face. "You took the last of the syrup!"

"Well, you took the last of the butter!"

Every last pancake had been taken, and there were trails of syrup on the table that betrayed the battle that had gone on for the last of the topping. Lily was munching on her own portions, a slightly devilish smile on her face at the show going on before her.

"Liam, calm down, there's more syrup in the pantry," Emma stepped in to avoid any bloodshed between the siblings.

"Yeah, and Annie needs to get it. 'She who kills it fills it,'" he recited.

Emma sighed deeply. If this is what growing up with a true sibling was like, the foster homes she grew up in were not as horrible as she had always believed. And being thirty years older than her brother was not as tragic as she has once thought it to be. "Here, I'll get it."

Breakfast was finally finished, and Emma was getting the kids loaded into the car, when Annie announced, "I still haven't found my backpack."

Emma slowly counted to five in her mind before replying, "Call Lucy and make absolutely sure you didn't leave it at her house."

Annie pulled out her cellphone as Emma heard her own play "With a Smile and Song." "Hey Mary Margaret," she answered.

"Emma, I'm so sorry to call you last minute like this, but I woke up with a terrible cold, and I already told Henry and Kate I would watch Ginny today. Could you do it, please?"

The frustrations would never end, would they? The image of the stack of papers at the station doubled, but she still accepted her duty as a grandmother (still weird to think about). "Okay, sure. Is she with you or still at home?"

"She's at home. Kate is busy with the baby, so I know she would really appreciate it if you picked her up."

"Yeah, I'm heading out with the kids to school, and I'll pick her up on the way back."

"Thanks so much Emma! You're a lifesaver!"

_Yeah, yeah, still the savior_, she thought to herself. Ending the call, she saw Annie mirroring her actions, her face a mask of embarrassment.

"Is your backpack at Lucy's?" Emma asked, the look telling her all.

"Yeah. She'll bring it to school for me."

"Alright, in that case, all aboard the Mom express to school."

Killian entered the front hallway, a slight pout on his face. "You were going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"Bye Dad," the kids said quickly, each exiting the door with little regard for their father.

Emma gave him a slightly more heartfelt sendoff, but only because she knew she would not be spending the day with him as they were used to. "I'm going to be watching Ginny today, so you and David will have to hold down the fort at the station today."

"You're not coming in?"

"No, but I'm sure you two can handle it. Just, don't get into another dart competition."

"David was the one who came up with the _brilliant_ idea of having a moving target. And it's not like that dart hit anything vital."

Emma shook her head, still not able to believe just how stupid and childlike her father and husband became when they were together. "Just, stay out of trouble, okay?"

She gave him a quick kiss and followed her children out the door.

The ride to school continued the same vein as the morning had, Lily complaining that Liam was in her space, Annie chatting over her about how much she hated her biology teacher, and Liam deciding that he was completely against sitting still. Emma breathed a breath of relief when they exited the car, and she was on her way to spend the day with her four year old granddaughter. Maybe not an easy task, but certainly less drama than the hormone driven teenagers she usually spent time with.

Kate greeted her mother-in-law at the door with the dark rimmed eyes of the parent of a newborn. "Hi Emma, Mary Margaret said you'd be dropping by."

Emma smiled at the brunette, filled with empathy for the young woman. "I understand what it's like to have a new baby, and a rambunctious toddler just makes it worse."

Said toddler then appeared, vaulting herself three feet in the air in the excitement typical of her age. "Gramma!"

"Hi Sweetheart. Are you excited to spend the day with me?"

She nodded energetically. "Do we get to bring baby Neal with us?"

Emma still couldn't stop the slight cringe that came each time she heard her grandson's name. She knew that her place was to be supportive and non-judgmental about her son's choice in naming his child, but even years later, the name conjured memories of pain, anger, and sadness. "No, the baby will stay with Mommy today. But you and I get to do some really fun things together."

"Yay!"

Emma transferred the car seat into her own car and carefully buckled the squirming girl into it. Kate gave her daughter a quick kiss, and wished them both a fun day. "Henry will pick her up after work."

"Okay, great."

The car had barely turned off of Henry and Kate's street when Emma's phone rang. She picked it up without looking, hoping that she could avoid a crisis this early in the morning.

"Hello?"

Liam's frantic voice came through the other end. "Mom, I left my lunch in the car. Will you bring it to school?"

Any other day, she probably would have said no, but since she was still in the car, and didn't have anything else to do but keep Ginny entertained, she agreed. "Sure, I'll be there in a few minutes," Emma said. As she turned around to head towards the school, she informed Ginny of the change in plans.

"We're going to go take lunch to Liam, okay?" She turned around to see if she had heard, and noticed a ring of peanut butter around the girl's mouth.

"Ginny, what's on your mouth?"

"P'nut butter and jelly," she said matter-of-factly.

Emma groaned with the implications of her words. Her suspicions were tragically confirmed when she stopped at a stop sign and turned to see Liam's lunch bag open on Ginny's lap and each food item with at least one bite in it.

"Nevermind, we're going home first, and _then _taking lunch to Liam."

Once home, Emma set up the toddler with a bag of toys left over from her own children's younger days, and proceeded to prepare a new lunch for her son. The quiet moment allowed her to add something that she had not had time or patience to do for a long time. She added a little note of encouragement to her son, wishing him a good day, and an extra apology for not giving him the same lunch he had been expecting.

One hour later, a lunch successfully delivered, and Ginny playing happily with Annie and Lily's old dolls, Emma decided to call the station to check up on her men, hoping that she would not be disappointed in them.

The phone rang and after several tones, her own voice came on. "You've reached the Storybrooke Sheriff station. If you have an emergency, please dial my cell phone at 787-2331. For non-emergency, please leave your name, number, and reason for calling after the tone."

She ended the call before the beep, and quietly murmured, "David, Killian, where are you?"

Her phone rang, but the tone was not Killian or David's ring. "Hello?"

"Sheriff Swan, I need your help."

Emma often wished she was not the only responsible law enforcement this town had. But when duty called, she had to answer. "What can I do for you?"

"My name is Betty Zapato," she said as though she expected Emma to recognize the name.

"Yes?" she replied.

A sigh of resignation preceded her next words, "the woman who lived in a shoe."

Emma held in the "ahh" of recognition. "What do you need Mrs. Zapato?"

"It's my son, Taylor. I got a call from the school that he didn't show up today, and I don't know where he is. Please, I need you to find him."

Emma's early reluctance disappeared as she sympathized with the mother's plight. "I will do everything I can. When was the last time you saw Taylor?"

"Ahh…" The pause in the woman's voice allowed Emma to hear the clamoring that was occurring in the background. Several children's voices could be heard arguing over one another, and a distinct scream accompanied the rest of the cacophony.

"I think he was at dinner last night. I know he was here yesterday morning."

Emma didn't know the Zapato's full story, but she could assume enough that this was a woman who had too many children to deal with. A vague memory came of Mrs. Zapato being the one to take in most of the Lost Boys when they returned from Neverland, and other children had been added over the years. She continued to ask questions to help her determine where Taylor may have gone, and it became abundantly clear that while Betty may care deeply for her children, she had a great deal of difficulty keeping them straight.

"Okay, I think I have enough for now. I will get back to you as soon as I know anything, all right?"

"Thank you so much Sheriff. I know you'll be able to find him."

Emma disconnected the line, then immediately brought her phone to her ear again, attempted once again to get a hold of David or Killian. Both lines went to voice mail, and she left an angry message with both of them, promising bad things to come when she caught a hold of them.

She checked the clock and prepared a quick lunch for herself and Ginny. After they had completed their meal, Emma packed Ginny into the car again, hoping that she would fall asleep and make things easier for all of them.

There was so such luck, and the four year old was chattering away when they arrived at the high school, and threatened to bounce away as Emma began her search.

"Excuse me, what class does Taylor Zapato have right now?" she asked the secretary.

The older woman fixed Emma with a severely distrustful look. "What do you need that for?"

Maybe on another day she would have handled it with more grace, but Emma's patience was not completely gone. "Janice, I'm here on official business. Now, what class does Taylor Zapato have?"

Janice was clearly still suspicious, but she complied. "Just one moment." She either had abysmally poor typing skills for a secretary and had only been kept on because of the result of the curse, or she was being deliberately slow to anger Emma.

"He is in Mr. Brown's geometry class. Room 402," she finally replied.

"Thank you." Emma looked around and spotted Ginny, who gratefully had been distracted by the fish tank against the wall.

"Look, Gramma, it's Nemo," she announced as Emma pulled her away.

"Great. Now, help me find the number four zero two."

Ginny looked incredibly proud to be entrusted with such an important task. "I'm good at my numbers. I can count to 23. See, 1, 2, 3…" She continued counting, but it kept her right next to Emma, so she allowed her to continue.

At the door to the classroom, Emma peeked in and noticed the teacher reading in a monotone to a class of glassy eyed students. She pushed her way in, knowing that no one would really mind the interruption.

"Excuse me, Mr. Brown? I need…"

"Mom?" Lily said.

Emma turned to see her daughter begin to turn bright red. "What are you doing here Mom? You're embarrassing me," she said in a tone that she obviously intended to be hushed, but was easily heard throughout the classroom.

"Actually, Mr. Brown, I need to talk to you about one of your student…"

Her words were now interrupted by Ginny, who rushed over to Lily and began to tell her all about the dolls she had been playing with that morning. If it was possible, Lily's face went even redder, and her posture attempted to make her smaller.

"Mr. Brown, I need to talk to you about Taylor Zapato," Emma finally got out.

"What about me? I didn't do anything," a boy spoke up from the back.

Emma's head whirled around and she began to question him. "You're Taylor Zapato?"

"Yeah, what's wrong? What did I do?"

Dueling emotions of relief at the case being so easily solved, and frustration at the time wasted overpowered Emma. "Nothing. Never mind, everything is fine. Come on Ginny, we need to go."

Ginny kept her eyes on Lily for a moment. "Aunt Lily, when you get home, you can play with the dolls with me, okay?"

Major Mom points were lost to Emma with those words and her presence at the school right then, but she recognized that the only thing she could do right now was damage control.

"Let's go Ginny."

Once back at home, and with Ginny completely passed out on the couch, Emma tried once again to contact David and Killian. This time when she got voice mail, her message had much less anger, but she knew the cold demeanor of her voice would strike more fear into their hearts that any infuriated words would.

Three thirty arrived, and Annie, Lily and Liam returned home, and the quiet that had previously been enough to calm Emma had shattered. Complaints of too much homework, shouts to be left alone, and inquiries of where certain items were filled the house as Emma began to prepare dinner. Despite the tumultuous noise, the sound of the garage door opening pulled Emma away from the meal preparation and she planted herself in front of the door, hands on her hips in a stance that she knew terrified Killian instantly.

Her body language alone immediately caused him to stiffen when he walked through the door. "Hello love. How was your day?" He attempted a soft kiss to her lips, but the attempt was rebuffed.

"Where were you today?" she asked. Her tone dripped with suspicion and bile.

Killian was searching for words, but when they finally emerged from his mouth, it did nothing to curb the rage. "Well, you see, David and I had a bit of an… incident."

Emma refused to say anything, allowing him to either give another stab at placating her, or admit defeat. "David asked me how I learned to pick locks, and wanted to learn how to do it himself. He implied that I couldn't do it without my hook, and I had to accept the challenge."

She continued to stare him down, and he finally arrived at the point of his story. "We went into the cell together, because that was the only way I could really show him how to do it. Unfortunately, I couldn't pick the lock, and neither of us had brought in our phones, and the keys were on the desk and…"

The tension within her disappeared, and she began to laugh. "You and David locked yourselves in the cell together and were stuck in there, the whole day?"

Killian nodded, and the laughter increased. "It's not funny darling. David may be my mate and all, but he's still not someone I would like to share that much with. The only way we got out was that Matthew stopped by after school and let us out."

Of all the times Emma envied her younger brother, this was the best. If only she had been able to see the two of them together after so many hours in close quarters. "Well, what lesson did you learn today?"

"Whenever I accept a challenge from David, find a way to cheat without him finding out."

Emma shook her head. A man child. She had married a man child, and now she was stuck with him, through the good and bad.

Hours later, as the kids were finally calmed down and in their own rooms, and Emma and Killian were preparing themselves for bed, she thought through the day. As crazy as her life was now, she would take another wild, crazy, hectic day like today, because it was the life she was always meant to have. Her family by her side, through the ups and downs, the thicks and the thins.

"Mom! Lily stole my curling iron!" Annie yelled loud enough to wake the dead.

_Not that I don't wish for a day of smooth sailing,_ she thought.

**The week has begun. Review if you would like to see more!**


	2. Tuesday Tears

**This will probably be the shortest chapter of all of them. This takes place about 3 years after the defeat of the Wicked Witch.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time or any related characters. **

Tuesday Tears

Lily's screams echoed throughout the house. Emma was certain the neighbors could hear her by this point. Luckily, she was assured that anyone who assumed her daughter was being mistreated would call her first.

"It's time to calm down now Lily. Time to go to sleep," she murmured quietly. The three month old refused to be cajoled, and only increased her cries. Emma could barely keep her eyes open. This was the third night in a row that her daughter had refused to be calmed down at bedtime. But bedtime had come and gone three hours ago, and the baby still refused to sleep.

Killian walked up to his two girls and offered what minimal support he could. "Here, give her to me."

His fresh pair of arms and more rested state gave him the energy to twirl, rock and dance with the infant. Unfortunately, again, nothing worked and the parents began to discuss any other option that they had.

"Does she need a change?" Killian asked.

Emma wanted to add to Lily's cries with her own screams of frustration. She managed to keep her volume low, but her tone remained deadly and sarcastic. "No. I never thought to check something as simple as changing her diaper."

The trials and challenges of raising a newborn allowed Killian his own insight into Emma's mental state, and he tried to respond as calmly and supportively as possible. "Alright, so it's not her diaper. She just ate, so it's not that." He shifted the girl so she sat in the crook of his left arm and lifted his right hand to her forehead to check her temperature.

"I've tried everything! Why is she doing this? Annie was never this much trouble." Emma sank to the edge of the bed, tears threatening to fall.

Killian sat next to her, despite Lily's increased volume protesting in the move. "Every child is different, you know that. Don't worry, I think I know how to fix this."

Emma looked pleadingly into her husband's eyes, hoping that indeed he could do something to finally calm their daughter down. He answered her look with a confident, sweet smile, and moved over to the rocking chair in the corner. Settling Lily into a comfortable position in his arms, a soft melody emerged from his lips as he sang the lullaby his mother had sung to him every night as he grew up.

_The sun goes down_

_The evening stars_

_Arise to light the way_

_The sea is calm_

_You sail along_

_To meet a brand new day_

_When you are far_

_Remember me_

_Believing you will come_

_Across the waves_

_From where you are_

_True kiss to guide you home_

Lily's tears calmed just enough for the soft singing to be heard, but with the song ended, hers tears increased a hundredfold.

"Well, I tried," Killian said. Emma accepted his defeat and once more gathered the distressed girl into her arms.

"At least she's managed not to wake Annie or Henry," Emma murmured, grateful her older children were deep sleepers.

A soft noise brought their attention to the doorway of their bedroom. "Not quite," Henry said.

Emma glanced at the clock, cringing when she noticed that it was now 3:20 in the morning. "I'm so sorry Henry. We just can't get her to calm down."

Henry heaved a sigh and walked into the bedroom with his arms out. "If I have to be awake right now, at least I can provide some help."

Though she was still disappointed and upset that Henry was missing out on an important night of sleep, she couldn't deny that any help was extremely precious. "Thank you."

As soon as Emma placed Lily into Henry's arms, the baby emitted a fart worthy of an overweight 80 year old man. The sound was accompanied with a contented sigh, and the instant calming of the previously shrieking girl.

Henry looked at them, trying to decide if he was horrified or amused by his younger sister. The lack of sleep and her frayed nerves caused Emma to burst into laughter, Killian and Henry joining her shortly.

"Well, next time we're going to hand you off to Henry first, how about that Water Lily?" Killian said, accepting Lily from Henry's arms.

Henry now chose to be completely horrified. "If she's going to do that every time I hold her, I should probably invest in some waterproof clothing."

The lack of sleep had reached its breaking point, and the entire family erupted into laughter, accompanied by the sweet sound of Lily's gentle, even breathing of sleep.

_It's about bloody time,_ Emma thought.


	3. Wednesday Weirdness

_Wednesday Weirdness_

Henry owed her big for this. She had known the second she agreed to this that the day would not end well.

Killian stood to her left, holding a long list of instructions for the meal she was currently preparing. "'Gently lift the skin and rub the olive oil between the skin and meat,'" he recited from the list.

Groaning, Emma proceeded to follow the instructions reluctantly. There was a reason her family ate out more often than not. But of course, Henry has insisted that this be a home-cooked meal. "Why am I the one forced to do this?" she asked.

"Because you agreed to it. And unfortunately, I don't think I'm very equipped for the task." Not for the first time, he flashed his hook in her face. She was prepared to rip it out at this point and use it as her preferred method of torture, but she was preoccupied with her own punishment of having to prepare a full sized turkey for the two dozen people that were preparing to flock to her home this evening.

"Yeah, yeah," she said. At least this was the last step before placing the turkey in the oven and being done with it until the masses descended. But there was still the list of other things to be prepared.

"Mommy, where's Mrs. Pickles?" Annie asked. She looked up at her mother with tears threatening in the corners of her eyes.

Emma paused. She had no idea where the four year old's favorite stuffed cat had gotten to. And if the toy couldn't be found in the next few seconds, waterworks were sure to follow. "Have you looked in your bed?" she asked.

Annie shook her head solemnly. "And she's not under Lily's crib, or in the closet, or in the bathroom, or…" As she continued to rattle off places the animal was not, Emma began to fear that the toy was truly lost.

"Well, why don't you and Daddy continue to look for it, okay? I have to get a few more things done so we can be ready for Henry's special dinner tonight, okay?" she said.

Annie nodded, the tears still threatening but currently contained. "Why does Henry get a special dinner?" she asked.

The vein of questioning distracted the girl enough that Emma engaged with her in the conversation. "Remember, Henry is going to go away tomorrow. He is going to go to college in New York City, and we won't see him again for a long time. So we're going to all have dinner together, our family, Henry, Grandma Mary Margaret and Grandpa David, Cousin Matthew, Regina and Robin and their family…"

"And Uncle Leroy!" Annie interrupted.

Emma smiled at the exuberance the little girl had for the dwarf. "Yes, and Uncle Leroy. Henry wants everyone who's special to him to be here tonight."

"And Lucy?" Annie asked.

Emma nodded, and Annie was once again off to search for Mrs. Pickles. Killian joined her shortly, but not before adding a side comment of his own to their guest list. "How my daughter ended up best friends with the Crocodile's daughter?" He shook his head in incredulity.

The father and daughter exited the kitchen, and Emma gratefully shoved the turkey into the oven and began the long process of waiting for it to cook all the way through. She took a moment to stretch out her back and take a seat for a moment. Rubbing her slightly distended belly thoughtfully for a moment, she contemplated whether she would finally make the announcement tonight that she and Killian were once again expecting. Her mother obviously already suspected, but she was pretty sure that no one else was suspicious of anything. She was only 10 weeks along, and there would be plenty of time to tell everyone later. But no other perfect opportunity to get the word out once and be done with it. She felt bad about thinking about taking away any of the focus from Henry. After all, this was his last night in Storybrooke, and it was meant to be a way for him to celebrate with all his family, without having to choose anyone to leave out.

Annie returned to the kitchen, a raggedy orange and white cat clutched in her arms. "We found Mrs. Pickles!" Killian announced a step behind her.

"That's great. Where was she?" Emma asked.

Annie became very serious as she related the location of her prized possession. "I found her between some blankets in the blanket closet. I think she came to life and hid there, just like in _Toy Story_!"

Emma managed to avoid laughing, instead sharing her daughter's grave tone. "Maybe. But you know toys _never_ move when someone is watching."

She nodded, then walked off to the living room to begin playing. Emma smiled at her sweet innocence, and determined it was time to finish her break. Looking over her list once again, she decided to tackle the chocolate cake Henry had requested next, when a loud cry from upstairs drew her attention away.

"I guess Lily's up now," she said, abandoning any thoughts of getting things down effectively with the two year old underfoot.

The doorbell rang, and Emma bit back the curse that threatened to fall from her lips. She still wasn't finished with the mashed potatoes, and Killian had left at least half an hour ago to pick up more soda for their drinks.

Henry leapt up from where he was playing with Annie and Lily on the floor. "Don't worry Mom, I'll get it. It's probably Gramps and Grandma to help finish up." He rushed to the door and flung it open.

"Hey Henry," Leroy said, his expression more pleasant than usual. He gave the boy a hug, and presented him with a small wrapped present.

"It's not my birthday Leroy. You didn't need to bring a gift," Henry said, sheepishly taking the present.

"I know, but think of it as a going away present," Leroy said. Henry invited him into the house, and the two sat down on the couch. Annie abandoned the dolls she had been playing with in favor of climbing into Leroy's lap and stroking his beard.

"Will you tell me a story Uncle Leroy?" Annie asked.

Leroy was completely whipped. He didn't even hesitate before he began in a hushed tone, "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful fairy…"

Emma smiled brightly at the thought that, had things been different, that would have been her on his lap, listening to stories he told her as a child. As much as she regretted the loss of it in her own life, she was grateful that her children had someone that they loved and adored so much in their lives now.

She turned her attention back to the final preparations, hearing Killian come through the door just as she was about to call him. "You're finally back. What took you so long?"

Killian sighed and placed the full bags on the table. "Sorry. It took a lot longer than I had anticipated."

Emma accepted a quick kiss, then set him to work again. "It's alright, just get to mixing drinks, okay?"

"Do you need any help Mom? Leroy's got the girls under control," Henry said.

"I would love it if you could get the table set. Let's see, we have our five, then Mary Margaret, David, and Matthew, that's eight, Leroy, Regina, Robin, Roland, and Rachel, thirteen, then Gold, Belle, Lucy and Andy make 17, right?" Emma listed out the guests to make sure that they didn't miss anyone.

"Okay, great. Kids' table here in the kitchen, right?" Henry began to place the plates in the appropriate spots, each place setting gleaming and waiting patiently for their time to be of use.

A heavy knock at the door alerted the family to their next guests. Killian opened the door to Mary Margaret, David, and five year old Matthew, who immediately latched himself onto his current favorite person, Emma.

"Emma, what are you making?" Matthew asked.

"Frosting for Henry's cake," she replied patiently. She knew that no matter how much she might like to avoid it, questions were her little brother's favorite way of communicating.

"Why does Henry get a cake? I want a cake!" Matthew said.

Mary Margaret wrapped her arms around her children in a supportive gesture. "Don't worry Matthew, everyone will get cake. But we all have to eat dinner first."

"When will we eat dinner?" Matthew asked.

Emma glanced at the clock on the wall, the numbers flashing 6:54. "We should eat in about five minutes. Once Regina and Gold show up, we'll be ready."

"Speak of the devil," Killian murmured when the doorbell rang. His smile was only slightly forced when he welcomed Gold, Belle, and their two children into the house. Lucy raced off, screaming for Annie, and the two embraced, chattering away about their dolls.

"Thank you so much for inviting us. This is great," Belle said. She unbuckled their three month old from his car seat and held him up for everyone to ooh and awe over.

"Belle, Grandpa, thanks for coming," Henry said, giving each a hug. He watched baby Andy for a moment, then asked, "could I hold him?"

"Of course." Belle shifted the baby into Henry's arms, and he began to talk softly to his youngest uncle.

Emma watched her son cradle the baby, and thought once again about making her announcement tonight. It was clear that Henry would never be mad about becoming an older brother once again. And it would only be appropriate that his uncle was not the youngest member of their wacky extended family.

At seven o'clock on the dot, Regina and Robin showed up with their family, finally completing the group and everyone was excited to sit down and begin the meal. Seats were shuffled around, the kids relegated to their own area to enjoy their own simple conversations, while the adults found themselves engaging in a slightly awkward, stifled beginning. Each knew that there were certain topics that should never be discussed in the mixed group. Finally, Mary Margaret broke the silence.

"So, Henry, have you decided what you're going to study?" she asked.

He chewed with a hurried pace and swallowed before answering. "I'm still not sure, but I've been thinking about doing something with medicine. I mean, isn't Dr. Whale still the only one in Storybrooke who has any real, non-curse medical training?"

Contemplative looks went around the table, and luckily no one chose to comment on the curse part of Henry's reply. "Doc has done some good doctoring in the past. I mean, he did deliver Emma," Mary Margaret said.

Leroy made a noise with no attempt to stifle his disbelief at the comment. Emma wanted to join him, silently sending her mother a look meant to stop any conversation about her own birth.

"I think it would be great if you wanted to be a doctor. You'll be great, no matter what you do," Emma said to encourage her son.

"Thanks mom."

Conversation lagged once again, and was even harder to start as they heard the ease in which the kids were loudly talking over one another and enjoying each other's company.

"This turkey is delicious Emma," Killian said to finally break the silence. The other members of the table agreed monosyllabically.

"Would anyone like more wine?" Emma asked when the silence stretched on once again.

"Yes please," came the unanimous decision. Emma went to the kitchen, breaking up a fight between Roland and Matthew about which GI Joe was best, and brought back a fresh bottle of wine. It was passed around, eventually finding its way back to Emma. As she placed it to the side, she could feel her mother's eyes boring into her.

"Emma, are you feeling okay? The other _morning_, you looked kind of _sick_," Mary Margaret asked. She would have kicked her mother if they had been sitting near one another, but luckily she had an out.

"Mommy!" Lily yelled from the kitchen. Emma rushed in to see her daughter covered in an entire plate of string beans, and all the other children staring at Rachel in surprise.

"What happened?" Emma asked, gently brushing her daughter clean. She had tears streaming down her face and her entire body was wracked with sobs.

"Rachel threw the beans at Lily," Matthew said.

Emma turned to Rachel, wondering what could possess the two year old to react that way. "Why did you throw beans at Lily?" she asked.

"Yiye took spoon," Rachel said.

Emma turned to the older children to make sure she understood. "Did Lily take Rachel's spoon?"

They all nodded, and Regina entered the room. "What happened?"

"Lily took Rachel's spoon, so she threw beans at her," Emma said. She continued to pick beans off of Lily, grateful that at least it wasn't a food that would permanently stain Lily's clothes or her floor.

Regina's eyes flashed, and Emma hoped she hadn't brought down any unnecessary anger onto the little girl. But she was pleasantly surprised when Regina stooped down to look her daughter straight in the eye, and calmly spoke to her. "Rachel, you cannot just throw food at someone when you get angry. You need to apologize to Lily right now."

Rachel kept her head down when she softly complied. "Sowwy."

Major crisis seemingly averted, Emma and Regina returned to the table. Unfortunately, Mary Margaret seemed determined to continue her subliminal interrogation of her daughter.

"Emma, everything tastes wonderful. You know, I think becoming a mother has made you an excellent cook."

Killian looked between Emma and her mother, silently asking if Mary Margaret knew. She shook her head at him, shooting him a look that any further discussion on this topic should be avoided. Emma racked her brain for a quick interjection she could make to steer the conversation back to an acceptable topic.

"Did you hear we got a new shipment of books for the library? They will expand the collection by 20%," Belle said quickly. Emma shot her a look of sincere gratitude for the out.

"That's exciting," Robin said.

"Who cares about some stuffy old books? I want to know what's going on with Emma and Mary Margaret," Leroy said.

Emma dropped her head into her hands, wishing she could sink into the floor. With the cat out of the bag however, everyone seemed willing to embarrass Emma as much as possible.

"Yeah, what's going on between you two? It's like you're keeping a secret. And you know how well you can keep a secret Snow," Regina said.

Finally, Emma couldn't take the looks and the awkwardness. "Go ahead Mary Margaret. You were the one who figured it out, so why don't you just tell everyone?"

Mary Margaret was cowed. She looked between Emma, David, and the rest of the guests, sheepishly trying to deny that she had not been forcing her daughter to reveal something she didn't want to this entire time.

"Emma and I are expecting a baby," Killian spoke up. The guests were silent, each surprised and unsure of how to react. Finally, Henry stood up and walked to where his mother sat.

"Congratulations Mom! That's awesome!" Henry said, hugging her tightly.

The awkwardness broken, the rest of the party offered their congratulations. Well-wishes and advice was quickly dispensed, and the entire tone lifted.

Dinner finished and the cake distributed, Annie climbed into Emma's lap and asked, "Is it time for presents?"

The adults all smiled at her excitement for gifts that weren't even for her. There was a mutual agreement, and Henry was presented with a few small gifts. He smiled, embarrassed by all the attention that was heaped upon him.

"Well, I guess I'll open this one first." He picked up a blue box about the size of a shoe box.

"That's from us," Gold said. Belle smiled brightly, encouraging him to go on.

Henry lifted the lid and stared in amazement. "A wand? Really?"

Gold inched closer and began to explain the gift. "You're going out into the world with no magic. This wand won't work outside of Storybrooke, but it will remind you of where you came from, and hopefully bring you back to us safely."

Henry grinned and gave his grandfather a hug. "Thank you."

"Open mine next!" Annie said. She pulled out a pink and white wrapped gift and set it on Henry's lap.

"Alright," he said. He tore through the paper quickly, and smiled at the reveal.

"Thanks Annie. This will be great." He held it up so that everyone could see the homemade macaroni frame that housed a picture of their family on the _Jolly Roger_.

"The frame is from Annie, the picture is from us," Emma clarified. Henry smiled and gave her thanks as well.

Henry reached for Leroy's gift next. When he opened it, he blushed deeply and didn't say a word.

"What is it Henry?" Killian asked. Henry passed the box along, allowing Emma and Killian to peek in.

"Leroy!" Emma yelled. The dwarf just gave a laugh and claimed that his gift was actually useful for the college bound boy.

Emma shook her head, still furious with Leroy, but Henry just wanted to move past the embarrassing gift and opened the present from Regina and Robin.

"What's this?" he asked, holding up a set of keys.

Regina and Robin smiled at one another, then at Henry. "Look outside."

Recognition dawned on the face of every member of the party. "You gave him a car?" Emma asked.

Regina brushed the anger off. "I've been saving up for his college since he was a baby. When he got a scholarship, I thought the best way to reward him was by putting that money into something else that would be incredibly useful for him."

Emma shook her head. "No one drives in New York. If they do, they're crazy," she said.

Henry grinned at Emma to placate her. "I can use it to come home more often. Think of it that way."

He turned to Regina and Robin and wrapped them in a tight hug. "Thanks Mom. I love it."

"Well, you haven't even seen it yet," Regina pointed out. Henry peeked out the window at the brand new Ford Focus sitting on the driveway. He gave her another squeeze, returning to the table with the rest of the guests.

Mary Margaret handed Henry a gift with a soft smile. "It might not be as special as a car, but I hope that you'll still enjoy it."

Henry ripped the wrapping paper, and smiled deeply at his grandparents' present. "Thanks Grandma. It's perfect."

"Well, let's see it," Regina said. Henry turned the heavy book around to display the title, _Once Upon a Time and the Tales of Today._

"You can impress your classmates with your knowledge of how all those fairy tales are _supposed_ to go. Just make sure that they all know what Captain Hook is _really_ like," Killian said.

Everyone smiled, knowing that Henry would have an interesting time trying to explain just how his family worked while at college.

"I doubt I'll get into many discussions about fairy tales with my friends. But if I do, don't worry. I know Snow White's stepmother isn't really evil, Prince Charming doesn't wear lipstick, and Rumplestiltskin doesn't eat babies," Henry said.

Gold pulled a face. "Who ever said I eat babies? Where did that ridiculous rumor come from?" The only reply he received was the laughter at his indignation.

It was weird. Less than ten years ago, the thought of being able to sit down and have a meal with the Evil Queen, Rumplestiltskin, and Captain Hook without bloodshed would have been impossible. Now they laughed with one another and helped to clean up dinner. She may even be able to call them friends. Weird.


	4. Thursday Throwback

**Set approximately 13 years after the defeat of Zelena. As always, I don't own anything you recognize.**

_Thursday Throwbacks_

Liam sunk deep into the mattress, settling down with five blankets on top and a dozen stuffed animals around him.

"Ready for bed?" Killian asked. Liam nodded, smiling contentedly. "You brushed your teeth, washed your face, everything?"

Another nod. The seven year old bared his teeth to give evidence of just how clean they were. "Will you tell me a story Daddy?"

Killian smiled at his son. He always marveled at just how much like his namesake he could be; stubborn, determined, and able to bend him completely to his will. "Alright. What story would you like to hear?"

He contemplated for a long time, but before he could respond, Annie rushed into the room. "Dad, I need your help. I have to write a story about someone I admire, and I can't decide what to do."

"Tell me about the giant!" Liam interrupted, disregarding his sister's needs.

Killian smiled. "Actually, this could be a very good tale to share. Why don't you stay Annie?" She took a seat on the floor, grabbing one of Liam's castoff animals and holding it on her lap.

Killian cleared his throat. "I assume you want to hear about when your mother and I climbed the beanstalk and met Anton for the first time." When he received a positive response from Liam and whispered excitement from Annie, he began telling the story.

"Well, your mother and grandmother were trapped in the Enchanted Forest after the Dark Curse was broken here in Storybrooke. They were trying to get back to Gramps and Henry, and they weren't about to let anything stand in their way, including a devilishly handsome pirate."

Lily appeared in the doorway and spoke in an accusatory tone. "What are you all doing?"

"Shh! Daddy's telling the story about climbing the beanstalk," Liam shushed her.

In perfect imitation of her mother, Lily rolled her eyes and proclaimed the story old and boring. "Bedtime stories are for babies anyways."

"You don't have to listen," Annie said.

Lily huffed, but didn't move from her position. Killian continued the story, hopefully without any more interruptions. "The only way that we knew of to get Emma and Mary Margaret home was by retrieving an enchanted compass from the top of the giant's beanstalk. Every story we had ever heard was that the giant at the top was fearsome and terrible. We didn't know what to expect when we got up there, so we prepared ourselves with a bag full of poppy powder that would put him to sleep, and your mother and I set off on the beanstalk."

"Don't forget the fact that I trusted you about as far as I could throw you," Emma said from the doorway. She joined Annie and Lily on the floor, and the entire family watched Killian anxiously for the next part of the story.

"As we climbed the stalk, I got bored. Your mother refused to talk to me because she was afraid of all the feelings she was developing for me…"

Emma couldn't let the lies continue. "Yeah, right. I was concentrating, and even if I wasn't, I wouldn't have wanted to waste my breath on talking to a suspicious pirate who had admitted to working with Cora."

Killian smiled at her. "You keep telling yourself that Love. However, I did finally get your mother to say a few words. Despite her initial reluctance to talk, I was then, and ever after, able to read her like an open book. That's how I knew that she really did want me, but was too afraid to say it."

Emma snorted, but allowed him to continue this time. "When we got to the top of the stalk, I, being the gentleman that I always am, noticed that she had injured herself. I carefully bandaged her hand, leaving her speechless in her desire to forget our mission and proceed to – more enjoyable activities," he censured himself for the sake of their innocence.

"Eww, you wanted to kiss Mommy?" Liam asked.

Annie echoed her mother's snort and muttered, "I think they wanted to do more than kiss."

Emma cleared her throat. "Don't forget the part where I saw your tattoo. Mr. "I can read you and you have no secrets from me" decided that he couldn't take as much as he could dish out, and closed off immediately when the questions became about him."

"I shared plenty with you. You didn't need to know all the details right away, did you?"

Liam tugged at Killian's arm, bringing him back to what he should be doing. "Yes, well, we determined that we needed to find a way to get the giant to inhale the poppy powder. So your mother climbed up on a statue, and I drew him out of his castle by banging away at a shield with a giant bone. When he emerged, he was much taller than we had expected, and in order to help your mother, I had to draw the giant's ire."

"What's 'ire'?" Liam asked.

"It means he made the giant really mad," Annie said, proud of her skills.

"Aye, I had to make the giant go for me rather than your mother. You know, protecting her, being her knight in shining armor so to speak." Killian didn't even allow Emma's small noise of protest to interrupt his flow. "I yelled at the giant, made him look at me rather than at your mother. Then, when the giant reached down to grab me, your mother slammed him right in the face with the powder. He dropped to the ground, and I knew at that moment that your mother and I were destined to work together as a team because we did it so well."

"Until you dropped me," Emma said. The children all turned to face her, and she picked up the story to keep the facts straight. "As I slid down the statue I had climbed up, your father attempted to catch me, but only succeeded in sending us both to the ground. That doesn't sound like good teamwork to me."

"It was better when we faced the giant again," Killian said.

"You mean when you got stuck under a pile of rocks and I negotiated for the compass? That was _great teamwork_," Emma said.

"Mom, Dad, the story?" Lily said.

"Quite right darling. I believe part of the story was skipped. So, after we knocked out the giant, we began to rummage through his treasures in hopes of finding the compass. Unfortunately, your mother got impatient with our results, and finally gave into her feelings for me and grabbed me close to her…"

"To save you from getting trapped," Emma interrupted.

Killian continued without missing a beat. "And then she wouldn't let go of me. Honestly, it was slightly embarrassing."

"I know what story we should tell tomorrow – how you spent three days trapped in a New York City apartment storage unit, or maybe all the things that you did while you were working with Cora, or stealing the bean…"

Killian took Emma's threat under advisement. "After your mother and I ended the embrace, we continued our search. It took hours, and we began to be impatient. Our search was ended rather abruptly when Anton awoke and ran at us. As your mother so _kindly_ mentioned, I was covering in an enormous pile of rubble from the collapsing ceiling, but your mother was able to get me out."

There was a pause in Killian's tale. "Isn't that when Mom chained you up and left you?" Annie asked.

"No, that's the end of the story," Killian said.

Emma jumped in to provide the unabridged version. "Yes, I did chain your father and told him that I was giving myself a head start. I had made arrangements with Anton, and I knew that nothing really bad would happen to him. But I couldn't risk that he would disrupt my plans to get home to Henry, so I took him out of the equation."

"That's not very nice Mommy," Liam said.

"I agree Liam. It was not very nice," Killian said.

"You got out eventually, didn't you? So, no harm permanently done, right?" Emma excused herself.

"Mom, I still think it was a little harsh. I mean, why would you do that to your True Love?" Annie asked. Lily and Liam nodded along with the question, each looking deeply at their mother.

Emma's breath caught in her throat at the accusation being thrown at her. "I didn't know he was my True Love at the time. And like I said, nothing really wrong happened, okay?"

Quiet moments passed as the children and Killian each evaluated Emma's excuse. Killian let the issue drop by leaning over to Emma and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I think you made up for that mistake by saving me from Zelena."

"Now that was an adventure. That would make an excellent story," Emma said.

"But Daddy, you didn't finish this story yet," Liam said.

Killian did a mental check of the story. "No, I'm pretty sure that was it, at least as far as the beanstalk adventure goes. And it's getting late, so we don't have time for the Wicked Witch story tonight."

"No Daddy. You forgot to say, 'And they lived happily ever after,'" Liam instructed.

Killian smiled at his children and his wife and knew the words were certainly true. "And they are living, and will live, happily forever after."


	5. Friday Fears

_Friday Fears_

Killian paced back and forth, unable to sit still. He knew that nothing was gained by his restlessness, but he just couldn't manage to stop his body from moving. He kept rubbing his lips with his fingers, trying to calm himself down.

"Okay, so I'll be back in a few hours. Annie just ate, and so she should be asleep for a while. Call me if you have any problems," Emma said.

"Are you sure you should leave right now? Maybe it would be best if you just stayed home," Killian said.

Emma smiled and gave him a kiss. "You'll be fine. The city council meeting won't take very long, and I can be back home in five minutes if you really need me."

"Alright. But, don't be late, okay?" Killian said.

Emma gave him another kiss and grabbed her coat. With a wave, she left and he was left alone, all by himself, with his two week old daughter.

Ever since Emma had told him she was pregnant, he had feared this day would come. The day he would be solely responsible for another completely dependent and helpless life. He snuck into the baby's room, checking on her. She lay peacefully in her crib, chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He checked that the monitor was on, and went down to the living room, choosing not to worry about the sleeping baby right now. If he thought too much about all the terrible things that could go wrong, he would never leave her side. He picked up a book that Emma had been reading, intrigued by the roguish pirate displayed on its cover, and began reading.

Twenty pages in, he realized that the book was not the swashbuckling adventures of a fellow pirate and he set it aside, a blush rising on his admittedly veteran cheeks. The sound of crying through the monitor was actually a welcome distraction at that point. When he entered her room however, the smell made him quickly amend his thoughts. He picked up the wailing child and spoke to her gently as he moved her to the changing table.

"Darling, next time, save this for your mother."

The girl was still crying as Killian stared at her, realizing that he had never changed the girl before. He awkwardly unbuttoned the bottom of her outfit, once again wishing he had both hands. It would certainly make caring for his child much easier. With the diaper exposed, he tackled the next challenge. He tried to slide the diaper off, but it was stuck tight to Annie. "How do I get this blasted thing off?"

Inspecting it from all visible angles, he finally noticed the tabs that attached the front and back parts. "Finally," he said.

Removing the tabs, he was assaulted with the full onslaught of the fumes. He grabbed a wipe and clumsily tried to clean the girl up. She continued to cry and squirm around, making Killian's job increasingly difficult.

"Come on Annie, sit still for Daddy," he murmured. It took him several minutes, but he finally got the girl cleaned up.

"Now to get you dressed again." Luckily, Annie has stopped screaming, making the difficult process of getting her clothes snapped back up just slightly easier.

Killian placed her back in her crib. "Let's make a deal. I won't bother you if you don't bother me."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Annie's face contorted into distress. Her mouth opened wide, and Killian began to shush her, hoping to avoid the inevitable. But no amount of comforting could stop the girl's tears.

"Oh, Darling, what's wrong? What can I do for you?" he asked, picking her up and rocking her gently. The infant quieted quickly, her breathing settling back to its steady pace. Killian breathed a sigh of relief. He returned the girl to the crib, in time for the crying to return.

"What happened?" he asked, picking her up again. The crying stopped instantly, and he quickly realized that she was playing him, effectively. He moved to the rocking chair, his daughter cradled carefully in his left arm and fake hand.

"Well, if you're going to make me hold you this entire time, then I will subject you to some honest tales." The girl sighed and shifted slightly, as though settling in to her father's story.

Killian took a deep breath, but he knew he had to say the things aloud that had been festering within him for months. "Annie, I have to tell you the truth. I'm terrified. I've never been given responsibility for anything nearly as precious as you. I know that your mother, grandparents, and pretty much every other member of this town will be around to help, but…you're mine, and I don't want anyone else to take my place in your life."

Annie's lips parted slightly, a little sigh to reassure him that something like that could never happen.

"It's not just now though, you know? What about the future? I may be learning some things about this world, but other things are still completely confusing to me. Whenever I see the kinds of thing Henry brings home from school, and I just think that I would never to able to do that if I lived another three hundred years. What happens when your mother is busy, as she often is, and you want help, and I just can't give it to you, you know?"

Killian paused and looked into his daughter's face, just enjoying the moment to bask in something so precious. As he gazed at her innocent unmarred beauty, it reminded him of his greatest fears.

"Annie, there's something that scares more than anything else. You may be quite young still, but I know that one day you will be as beautiful as your mother. But with that beauty will come a curse – you will have every available young man pursuing you. So, since I am responsible for your well-being in everything, you will not be allowed to see any boys until you are 28. That's when your mother met me, so you don't need to be concerned with men before then. And don't worry, if a man ever does bother you, I know just how to get rid of them."

"Oh, really?" Emma's voice came from the doorway.

Killian's head came up in surprise. "You're home. How long have you been there?" he asked.

"Long enough," she said. She stepped into the room and came around to stand next to the rocking chair and gaze down at her daughter's face. "Just so you know, forbidding her from dating until she's 28 will most definitely backfire in your face."

Killian smiled maliciously. "Don't worry, I have a plan. You'll see, one day the only man Annie will ever want to be with is me."

**Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and the favorites/follows! It really does make my day!**


	6. Saturday Socials

**Hello kind readers and reviewers! This is the second to last chapter in this series. I hope that you've enjoyed reading, because I've certainly enjoyed writing. Be sure to leave any comments you have in a review! This chapter takes place about 20 years after the Wicked Witch.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, someone else's. **

_Saturday Socials_

Killian pushed the book slightly farther away, trying to get the words to become clearer. Emma sat down next to him, picking up a book of her own. He put his arm around her, drawing her closer. She smiled, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Lily walked through the living room, twirling the car keys around her fingers. "I'm heading out."

"Wha - wait, where are you going?" Killian asked.

"I told you yesterday, I'm going to hang out at the beach with some friends."

"Which friends?" Killian asked, suspicious.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Rachel, Taylor and Mike."

Emma had hardly looked up from her book, but Killian was at the edge of his seat, ready to pounce. "You're going to the beach with some boys?"

Lily sighed. "Dad, calm down. I'm 17 years old. I can spend time with whoever I want, okay?"

Unfortunately, those were the exact wrong words for her to say to him.

"Excuse me? I am your father, and if I don't approve of someone, then there is no way you will be with that person."

Stamping her foot, Lily issued her own ultimatum. "You can't keep me from being with my friends. If you try, I'll just sneak out."

Emma stood up, attempting to prevent any major arguments between father and daughter. "You know what, Lily, I don't think that shirt will be warm enough for the beach. Why don't I help you find something a little warmer?" She kept the wink surreptitious, hoping the teenager would catch on.

"Okay," Lily said. The mother and daughter headed up to her bedroom, leaving Killian alone and still upset.

"You know your father loves you, right?" Emma said as soon as the bedroom door closed behind her.

"Yeah. But he needs to calm down. You know everyone I'm going out with, and it's not like we're going to do drugs or drink or anything like that," Lily said, sitting heavily onto her bed.

Emma sat next to her and put her arm around her. "It's hard for him, because he wants to make sure that you're not going to be in any danger, which, to him, includes being with boys."

Lily rolled her eyes, and Emma realized just how condescending it must look when she did it. "What is his deal? I mean, what does he think, that they're going to corrupt me or something? Girls could do that just as easily."

"He did live in a completely different time and place than us. He's already lost so much in his life, and it would kill him if _anything_ happened to you, including getting your heart broken over a boy. I think he assumes every guy is just like him, just to be on the safe side."

Lily chuckled. "Dad is really hard on himself, isn't he? I mean, I could never even begin to imagine him purposefully hurting anyone, even more so breaking someone's heart."

It didn't feel like the appropriate moment to mention the storied past of his dealings with Belle, but Emma did agree that Killian easily took on the role of protector. "Your father may not have _always_ been like that, but he certainly is now."

Lily sighed heavily. Emma looked her in the eye to offer a suggestion. "Here's what we're going to do to avoid any fights. You will go to the beach with your friends and have a great time, but you have to be home by 11:30, okay?"

There was a quiet moment of contemplation, then Lily nodded. "What about Dad? He'll say I have to stay home and practice knots or something."

"Let me deal with him. Go on, have a good time." Lily gave her mother a hug and left the room.

"Wait!" Emma called her back.

"What?"

"I really was serious about the shirt. Put on something warmer."

Lily disappeared into her closet, murmuring something about 'overprotective parents' before emerging with a sweater to go over her green button up. "This good?"

"Perfect." Arm around Lily, Emma and her daughter returned to the living room. Killian had opened his book once again, but his head came up instantly when the girls returned.

"So, did you come to your senses? Are you staying home?" Mother and daughter gave synchronized eye rolls.

"See you later," Lily said and exited before Killian could say anything.

"What? Where is she going? Emma, I thought you were going to fix this," Killian protested.

She gave him a patronizing pat on the chest. "Don't worry. Lily will be fine. And if she's not home by 11:30, you get to yell at her then."

"But, she's going out, with boys!"

Emma prepared to give her husband a detailed description of how boys in and of themselves were not soulless, maniacal, hormone driven monsters, when Liam came down the stairs, dressed in a navy blue suit, bright yellow shirt, and a red tie.

"Mom, what do you think of this outfit?" he asked, doing a little spin.

She was speechless, but finally found the words. "It's bright. Why are you in a suit anyway?"

Liam sighed and sat down on the couch between his parents. "Kai just invited me over to a party at his house. I wasn't sure what to wear, but this is what you wear to parties, right?"

Emma managed to suppress her chuckle, but Killian let out a guffaw loud enough for the both of them. "Son, if you have to wear that kind of outfit, you're going to the wrong kind of party. Here, let me find something more appropriate for you."

The trip up the staircase was now made by father and son, and Emma debated the wisdom of allowing Killian to dress him. If he had his way, Liam would return decked out in a head to toe leather outfit. She returned to her book, assuring herself that at least she would get veto power.

"Mom, is Dad down there?" Annie called down.

"He's in Liam's room," Emma replied without taking her eyes off her book. She barely glanced up when Annie walked through the room and headed for the front door, until she heard the sound of heels clicking across the wood floor.

"Hold it right there!" Emma called out. Annie stopped in her tracks, shoulders slumped in guilt at being caught.

Emma beckoned her over. "What makes you think you can leave the house wearing that?"

"What's wrong with it?" Annie asked, testing her mother's patience. The booty shorts left nothing to the imagination, and her green shirt had such a deep V that the midriff baring clothing was nearly in two pieces. Emma had some bad flashbacks of how Ruby dressed when she first came to Storybrooke.

"You obviously knew that your father would disapprove, or you wouldn't have asked where he was. So, head right back up to your room and change," Emma said.

Teenage-hood still had a firm grip on the "adult" as she huff and pouted. "Mom, I'm nineteen years old. I can dress however I want."

Emma thought through all the clichéd things she could hold over her daughter's head – she was living under their roof, they were paying for the car she used, school next year would be a lot more expensive if they didn't help her pay for it, etc. But she chose not to dive into that pool of after-school specials.

"You're right. You are an adult. So you should be making adult decisions. That includes thinking through the consequences of your choices. What do you think will happen if you go out dressed like that?" Emma said calmly.

The rationality did little to change her mind. "This is the way to get guys to notice me."

"What kind of guys?" Emma asked.

The two were at a stalemate, neither willing to back down from their position. Killian and Liam chose that moment to come down the stairs, and the sight rendered them speechless. When Killian did find his voice, it was at the top of his lungs. "Sinann Margaret Jones, you march upstairs right now and change!"

Any argument she may have made with her mother was swallowed deep, and she obeyed her father quickly, though still not happy about it. Emma shook her head, hoping that this moment wouldn't come back to bite them both in the butt.

"Wow, that was…" Liam began, but swallowed back any comments when he saw the murderous glint in the former pirate's eyes.

Pushing the awkwardness away, Emma had to admit that the outfit Liam and Killian had found was quite dashing. He wore a light blue shirt to highlight his eyes, and tan slacks. "You look great Liam."

"Thanks! Now, can I get a ride to Kai's?" Emma flashed a look at Killian. His eyes were still filled with a burning fire, and she didn't know whether she trusted him less to drive or to be alone with Annie.

"I think Annie's heading out soon, why don't you get a ride with her?" Emma suggested. Liam began to let out a groan, but quickly read the room and nodded, careful not to draw his father's attention.

"Is this okay?" Annie asked, coming down the stairs slowly. This time, Emma approved of the teal flare skirt and the red t-shirt. A quick glance at Killian said that he didn't disapprove, but it was obvious he was still fuming. Emma headed to the door with her children.

"I'll come pick you up at 11:00, unless you call me earlier okay?" she directed at Liam. He nodded, and looked at Annie with the same intensity Emma was.

"Thank you for changing. Your father only did it because he cares about you."

Rather than responding to her mother's words, Annie walked back into the living room and wrapped her arms around Killian. "I'm sorry I made you mad. I love you Daddy."

Killian melted immediately and gave her a tight squeeze of his own. "I love you too."

Annie and Liam finished their goodbyes, and when the door closed, Emma and Killian found the house to themselves. "We have some pretty great kids, don't you think?" Emma asked.

"Yeah." The two sat in silence, enjoying the rare moment of peace that came with raising teenagers. When Killian eventually broke the quiet, his voice had a slight dark edge to it. "If _anyone_ hurts them, I can't promise I won't do something rather, messy."

Emma turned to look directly at him. "Are you saying you would hurt someone if they did something to the kids?"

"Not hurt them. I told you before, I have a plan." Emma raised her eyebrows, and he continued. "If a boy got too close to one of the girls, or Liam got his heartbroken, or anything else, I will invite the guilty party on a late night sailing trip. When we're good and far from the shore, I'll start talking about the icy waters, and just how difficult it would be for anyone to be saved if they fell in. Then, we turn around and return to shore. Anyone who is too thick to get the threat, well, I'll just have to follow through."

Emma shook her head at the crazy, yet somehow plausible idea. She did not envy her daughters the tough spot they would have should they ever get serious with someone. Luckily, a much more pleasant thought came into her mind.

"You know, all the kids are out, and we have the house to ourselves. What do you think we should do?" She smiled at him.

"I can think of a few ways to pass the time," he said, sharing the smile.


	7. Sunday Sailing

**Sorry this is up so late. I had a much busier day yesterday than I was anticipating. Posted before I've watched 3x17, so no spoilers here. This chapter takes place 13 years after the Wicked Witch.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

_Sunday Sailing_

Lily knocked at the door of her older sister's room. "Annie! Time to get up!" She waited a moment, but she didn't receive any kind of response. "Just letting you know Liam's joining Dad today!"

There was still a profound silence, and Lily walked away, feeling she had done her own duty. If Annie wanted Dad to wake her up, that was her own problem.

"Hi Mom," she said, walking into the kitchen and picking at the strawberry topping set out on the table.

"Hey sweetie. Annie up yet?" she asked.

"Nope." Lily went to the fridge, grabbing the milk and juice to place on the table next to the strawberries.

Emma finished pouring the batter into the waffle iron, then turned to look at the ten year old. "Do you mind talking to Annie? Your dad wants to leave in just a few minutes."

"I already talked to her once," Lily said.

"You should try again. Unless you want…" Emma didn't get to finish before the less than dulcet tones of a kazoo emerged from upstairs.

"Too late," Lily said. Even with the distance between them, they could hear Killian's voice singing at the top of his lungs.

_What will we do with a drunken sailor?  
What will we do with a drunken sailor?  
What will we do with a drunken sailor?  
Early in the morning_

The sound of the kazoo stopped, and Liam's voice joined his father in with the chorus.

_Way hay and up she rises  
Way hay and up she rises  
Way hay and up she rises  
Early in the morning_

As the second verse began, a scream alerted them that Annie was already awake. "I'm going to go up there and stop them before any blood gets shed," Emma said.

Lily smiled. It may be one of the most annoying things in the world, but it just wouldn't be Sunday without someone getting the old sea shanty serenade from Dad. Two minutes later, Emma returned with the boys, lecturing them about the appropriate way to wake members of the family.

"But Mom, the song says 'way hay and up she rises.' What other time can I sing it if not to wake up one of the girls?" Liam asked.

Emma didn't want to make it into a big deal, so she redirected the conversation. "Who's ready for hot waffles?"

Fifteen minutes later, Emma was preparing the last of the batter when Annie finally came down, her face screwed into a deep frown. "Who came up with the idea of Sunday morning coming so early?"

No one responded, allowing the night owl a few more minutes of peace. Emma placed a waffle in front of her. "You'll have to eat kind of quickly. We're meeting Henry down at the docks at 8."

"Is Kate coming too?" Lily asked excitedly.

Emma shook her head. "Oh no. The last thing we would need today is to take an eight and half month pregnant woman out several miles on a boat. You would not want to see how your father would react if her water happened to break."

Annie showed her first interest of the morning. "What would you do Dad?"

He didn't give a verbal response, but went ashen and shook his head.

"Your father doesn't like births, let's just leave it at that."

Within a few minutes, the family had cleaned up breakfast, and was heading out the door. They parked the car at the docks, watching Henry wave at them.

"Hey guys. Ready for a day at sea?" he asked. The girls gave smiles of acceptance. They enjoyed the time with the family, and they each had enough of their father in them that the ocean held good memories, but it wasn't their favorite outing.

"Henry!" Liam torpedoed into his older brother. Their nineteen year separation in age and vastly different appearances would never clue a stranger into their family relationship. But whenever they got together, they could bring out the best, or worst, in one another, typically of any set of brothers.

"It's good to see you Henry. How's Kate doing?" Emma asked, giving him a hug.

He had to put a little force into his smile. "She's ready for the baby to come. I told her I wouldn't be out too late today, I hope that's okay."

"It's great Henry. Just glad to have you aboard," Killian said. They all stepped onto the ship, and Killian once again became the master of the sea. He gave orders to each member of the family, getting them underway within a few minutes.

"Hey, Liam, want to take the helm?" Killian asked once they had left the harbor.

"Really?" he asked, eyes wide enough to pop out of their sockets.

"You're old enough now. Just remember…"

"Port is left, starboard is right," Liam said.

Killian smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "That's my boy. Now, I'm going to go below deck for a moment, are you going to be alright?"

Liam replied with a smile and a determined look out over the horizon. Killian kept his gaze on the boy, and murmured a warning to Henry to keep an eye on him, but put the trust in him to leave him alone.

As Emma struggled to tame her windblown hair, she caught sight of Annie leaning over the railing, phone in her hand. She walked over unsteadily, still trying to adjust to the rocking of the ship. "I thought we agreed, no phones on the ship," she said.

Annie barely looked up from the phone. "Mom, Lucy says her parents got her tickets to see the One Direction reunion show in Boston for her birthday next month, and she wants me to go with her. Can I, please?"

Emma wasn't ready to pass judgment on the idea right this moment, so she chose to change the subject. "Put your phone away before it gets dropped and you wind up losing everything on it."

"I'm careful," she insisted.

Emma pressed the issue, not wanting the worst to happen, and then be stuck with an upset teenager. "Put it away, or I'll be happy to hold onto it."

Begrudgingly, Annie put it in her pocket, muttering "I lost service a few minutes ago anyway." When her head came up, her face immediately took on a shocked, horrified expression.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, turning around to see what was distressing Annie so much.

Killian had emerged from below deck, and he had taken the time to attire himself in his black leather outfit. Annie and Lily both looked disgusted by just how odd their father looked. Emma had to admit that seeing him back in the outfit upset her as well, but in a very different way than her daughters.

"Dad, why are you wearing that?" Lily asked.

He set himself up at the helm, surveying his ragtag crew of family. "Arr, me hearties, the sea is a'calling, and the plunder is yonder."

"What?" Annie and Lily asked in unison.

Emma shook her head. Whoever had introduced him to _Pirates of the Caribbean_ and any other pirate movie should be shot. Having known him back during his "pirate days," she could attest that he had been heavily influenced by the views of their modern world when it came to pirates. Henry was also familiar with this routine, and he called his step-father out on it.

"I thought the rule was that you couldn't talk like that unless you actually _had_ talked like that when you were a pirate."

Killian sighed, unhappy about the restriction. "But the pirates here get to say much better things than what I said."

"Dad should be able to say what he wants to say," Liam said, standing up for his father that he had elevated to the level of hero in his mind.

"I'm with Liam. But…if you really only want me saying things like I did in the past…" Killian pulled Emma up to stand next to him, leaving very little room between them. "Should I get you on your back so that we can get to more enjoyable activities?"

Fourteen years of marriage and three kids later, she still was not immune to his charms, particularly when he was wearing that coat. She was much better at hiding her reactions though. And she knew all the tricks to get him to melt. She ignored the kids, who looked on with curiosity that overpowered their disgust. However, to protect them from losing all innocence, she leaned in and whispered at a level almost too soft for Killian to pick up, "I didn't bring my handcuffs today. You know it's even better with those."

The morbid curiosity kept them watching their parents, until Henry cleared his throat to keep the moment from becoming even more awkward.

"Well, you know, it's too bad we always go sailing during the day. I probably couldn't still name all of the constellations, but I bet I remember a few."

His comments brought Killian's attention back around. He still had a soft spot in his heart for those days just after Neal died, when he had taken the boy out to teach him the same things he had taught Henry's father, that he had learned from his own father so many years ago. The smile on the young man's face evidenced his own fondness for those lessons.

"Dad taught me Hydra and Leo last week. And I can lift the port side anchor all by myself!" Liam boasted.

"That's great bud," Henry said, ruffling his hair.

"Yeah, big whoop," Annie said.

Liam turned to face her, taking great insult in her sarcasm. "It's important. One day, I'll be the Captain, and it will be my job to run the ship, all by myself!"

Annie scoffed, but did nothing to crush the boy's dream, this time.

"Hey, you know, today would be the perfect time to teach you about using only the main sail. You normally wouldn't go with just one sail, because your speed would decrease dramatically. But every once in a while, it's helpful. Here, Henry, take the helm," Killian said.

Liam jumped up immediately, excited for every chance he had to learn. The girls were less enthused, but at some gentle prompting finally relented. Killian took them step by step through the process. After a while, Annie and Lily finally got into the spirit, and were just as excited as Liam when they saw the sails propel them forward.

An hour later, Emma called them for a break, offering up sandwiches and veggies for lunch. Conversation focused on the sailing accomplishments of the family, Henry's upcoming med school graduation, and guesses about the name of the new baby.

When the food and talk were completely exhausted, everyone sat back in contentment. Emma and Lily both put their heads back, enjoying the sun emerging after a frigid winter. "I might bring my swimsuit next time. It's starting to feel so nice out here," Lily said.

Murmuring agreement came from Emma and Annie. "While you ladies enjoy the weather, us men will make sure the ship stays on course," Killian said.

On another day, insult might have been felt, but Emma was too comfortable to move and gladly let them take charge. Sun shining brightly, a light breeze ruffling up her hair, and the soft rocking of the ship all contributed to her drifting off to sleep. It was only a few minutes before she was completely out.

When her eyes opened, she couldn't tell how much time had passed, but with no one upset and the ship still sailing smoothly, she didn't worry.

"Ahoy darling. Did you sleep well?" Killian asked.

Emma nodded choosing to let the 'ahoy' pass by. "How long was I asleep?"

"Just a half hour. I was planning on bringing us in soon. Annie fell asleep as well, and Henry started to worry about how long it's been since his phone lost service." Emma agreed that the time had come to end their excursion. Liam and Henry with both ready and able to provide crew to the ship, and it only took a few minutes to turn the ship back towards Storybrooke.

Emma stood at the helm next to Killian, remembering a day many years ago when he would have been in a very similar position. "Thank you," she said.

"For what?" he asked. She put her arms around him, squeezing him to her tightly.

"For coming back for me."

He returned the hug, looking into her face to show just how serious and important this was to him. "I may not have realized it at the time, but you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I thought at the time I was coming back to help you, but in the end, you saved me."

Emma rewarded his sweet words with a kiss.

"Mom, Dad, you are so gross!" Lily said. Ignoring her protests, they deepened the kiss.

When they finally broke apart, many disgusted faces greeted them. "Be honest. After 14 years, you're impressed I still got it," Killian said.

The kids refused to drop their disgust, but Henry gave a little chuckle. "It's no wonder I thought you were dating when you showed up in NY."

The harbor now in sight, Henry's phone toned insistently. When he retrieved it, his face displayed urgency and concern. "Kate's in labor!"

New resolution was put into their labors. Killian insisted that he could coax more speed from the sails, and within minutes they were docked and secured. Henry jumped over the ship's railing and was in his car before the gangplank was even properly lowered.

"See you at the hospital!" He called out, then peeled away.

Killian put his arm around Emma as they disembarked and headed to the car. "Ready to go be a grandmother?" he asked.

She poked him in the chest. "You know that you're going to be Grandpa Killian, right?"

He grinned at her. "I would be anything, if it meant that I could be it with you."

**Thank you so much for joining me on this great week! If you would like to go back and read the chapters in chronological order, that is posted below. Thanks again, and be sure to review!**

Chronological Order: (AWW means After Wicked Witch)

Friday Fears (1 year AWW)

Tuesday Tears (3 years AWW)

Wednesday Weirdness (6 years AWW)

Thursday Throwback (13 years AWW)

Sunday Sailing (13 years AWW)

Monday Madness (17 years AWW)

Saturday Socials (20 years AWW)


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